Eastward orientations of 17th–19th century churches in the eastern United States: a record of religious symbolism and time

Abstract

SUMMARYThe eastward orientations of 332 churches in the eastern United States (Georgia to Maine; 30.7°N to 44.5°N) have been measured to an accuracy of ± 0.2°. Most of those churches are listed on the U. S. National Register of Historic Places. Distinct clusters of eastward orientations among the churches have been identified and are interpreted as corresponding to the following: (a) sunrises on specific days of Christian significance, such as Annunciation Day, Ascension Day, and Easter; and (b) True East, as inferred either during sunrises on the Equinox or being perpendicular to the direction toward the North Star. About 30% of the churches have orientations that do not align with any sunrise and appear to have been built using other criteria (e.g., local topographic considerations). Using a combination of methods developed in this study, a narrow range of days (± 1–2 days) can determined for sunrises that are aligned with many churches. Those data allow the day and year to be inferred when the foundations of some churches were laid out. The orientations of graves in cemeteries adjacent to 246 of the churches were also measured.